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Boris Johnson’s “Islamophobic” Comments Slammed in UK

Boris Johnson’s “Islamophobic” Comments Slammed in UK
folder_openUnited Kingdom access_time5 years ago
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Local Editor

Boris Johnson, the former British foreign secretary, has come under fire after Islamophobic comments targeting Muslim women wearing face veils.

In an opinion piece published in Monday's Daily Telegraph, the Tory politician and leading figure in a campaign for Britain to leave the European Union said that Muslim women wearing the veils look like "letter boxes" and compared them to "bank robbers".

His comments prompted Muslim groups in the UK to renew calls for an inquiry into Islamophobia in the Conservative Party.

"Boris Johnson's latest racist insults cannot be laughed off, like they often are," said Naz Shah, the opposition Labour Party's shadow equalities minister.

"Saying Muslim women look like letterboxes, comparing them to bank robbers and describing Islam as a 'problem' was a calculated attack and published in a national newspaper," she added.

"[Prime Minister] Theresa May must condemn this blatant Islamophobia and Boris Johnson must apologise," Shah said.

Many remarked on Twitter that Johnson has been in contact with Steve Bannon, former campaign manager for US President Donald Trump, and accused him of "pandering to the far-right" amid speculation over a future leadership contest within the Conservative Party.

David Lammy, a Labour MP, wrote on Twitter: "Muslim women are having their burkas pulled off by thugs in our streets & Boris Johnson's response is to mock them for 'looking like letter boxes.' Our pound-shop Donald Trump is fanning the flames of Islamophobia to propel his grubby electoral ambitions."

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

 

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